Review: Toshiba 46WX800U 46" Slim 3D LCD HDTV with LED

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Toshiba's 46WX800U 46" inch Slim 3D LCD HDTV is the complete package. An ultra-slim HDTV that's 3D capable, has SmartTV features with Wi-Fi (connecting to NetFlix, YouTube and Yahoo! Widgets ). In terms of features and functionality, the Toshiba 46WX800U is as future proof as modern HDTV's get.

Impressions

Ports are abundant in Toshiba's HDTVThe first thing we noticed about the Toshiba 46WX800U is how slim it is considering the amount of technology and features that it offers. This is a $2700 HDTV that's not only compliant with all the current video and Internet standards today, it is designed to handle all technology that's coming in the next couple of years.

As the centrepiece of an already crowded home theatre system, we were able to make use of all four of the HDMI ports (for Rogers Cable box, PS3, XBox, AppleTV 2.0, and Toshiba's BDX 3000 Blu-Ray player).

Aside from these, the Toshiba 46WX800U also has a component video input, composite video, VGA PC monitor input and USB ports for access to audio, video, and still image files stored on flash drives. 

Wireless  connectivity is also built in with DLNA certification allows access to audio, video, and still image content stored on network connected devices, such as PC or media server.

There are subtle features that we appreciated like the two-stage mute button on the remote control which cuts volume to one half the current loudness and then cuts it off completely. The ambient light sensor was also a great feature that automatically adjusted the picture's brightness depending on the brightness of surrounding light. The result was always an optimal and well balanced image.

Connecting to the Internet can be managed through the built in Ethernet port or Wi-Fi. What we soon realized about the Toshiba 46WX800U is part TV and part computer. Considering that its NetTV capability requires substantial processing power.

A wonder of industrial design, the Toshiba 46WX800U redefines thin HDTVs

Battery of Tests

We were fortunate to have the Toshiba 46WX800U on loan during Superbowl Sunday which we watched via our Rogers cable box. Being an older model box, it could only muster a 720p HD resolution but this was more than satisfactory.

Skin tones were spot on, the lush imagery of the footbal stadium, the colourful fabrics and the vast landscape of the huge event were captured with incredible accuracy. Credit this to the LED backlighting that generates higher refresh rates, better contrast and darker black plus overall brightness. Yes, LED is more expensive than your garden variety LCD technology but you can really see and enjoy the difference.

We hooked up Toshiba's BDX 3000 Blu-Ray player which was loaned with the HDTV and watched  Jet-Li and Jackie Chan's Forbidden Kingdom which had a number of complex and visually ornate choreographed fight scenes. We're happy to report that the cinematic purity of the film was delivered without the requisite pixelation and artifacting one sometimes sees during fast motion sequences.

The Toshiba 46WX800U also has surprisingly good built-in stereo surround sound. There is ample separation, good depth and enough loudness to fill up  the room, which is rare for such a slim model.

Our other tests include playing a variety of game on a Sony PS3, namely Gran Turismo 5 and NBA 2K11 and we  found the Toshiba's 46" inch size to be optimal for immersive gaming, specially for GT5. 

We also used the Toshiba 46WX800 with old and new AppleTVs and found the experience to be seamless. The 4 HDMI ports were extremely convenient in trying out all these varied input devices and we believe modern HDTV should ship with anything less than 4 HDMI ports. 

Aside from cable TV, Toahiba offers the best of what the Internet has to offer

Smart TV

 The Toshiba 46WX800U also falls in the Smart TV category which means it has the ability to manage more than just video playback but can act as an ad-hoc Internet terminal. Ethernet and Wi-Fi is built in and open it up to a world of possibilities. This is tomorrow's HDTV set, today. You have access to YouTube, NetTV, NetFlix and Vudu as well as weather, Facebook, Twitter and news apps running in the form of Yahoo! Widgets. 

Update your Facebook status while watching the Raptors lose another game? You can do that.

While the supplied remote control isn't the best way to use the Smart TV functions, you can pre-program all your passwords and options for later use. 

3D built-in

Much has been made about 3D HDTV and what it offers. First, let's discuss what you need in order to get it working. First you need a 3D HDTV set, which the Toshiba 46WX800U is, you need an HDTV content source which for us was Toshiba's BDX 3000 Blu-Ray player, you need a Blu-Ray movie (We had the Open Season 3D) and you need the Toshiba's active 3D glasses plus a high-speed HDMI port to course the 3D signal from Blu-Ray to HDTV.

With all these in place you can enjoy the 3D experience in your home theatre and it is quite engaging. Animated movies and films shot for 3D seem to work best because you really get the clarity and perception of depth and separation between the bacground and foregorund elements. 

Content is a big component of the 3D Blu-Ray experience and after visiting HMV, Best Buy and Future Shop we realized that there are a little over a dozen 3D Blu-Ray titles available right now (sadly, not all of them are very good).

This may change in the future but we wouldn't go crazy and invest in a full 3D set-up until there are sufficient titles that interest us. Investing beyond a premium 3D HDTV today can be expensive. The Toshiba's BDX 3000 3D Blu-Ray player costs over $250, the FPTAG1U 3D glasses go for $199 each and the Blu-Ray 3D videos ring in at about $35 each, it all adds up to a lot.

It would be a different story if 3D content was piped in through cable but it is not, at least not yet. Last December the CBC showed the first Hockey game produced in 3D, the other game will the Heritage Classic from McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Sunday, February 20, 2011.

3D still feels very experimental at this point.

Conclusion

Toshiba's LED backlit 46WX800U slim 3D LCD HDTV is the current pinnacle of premium HDTV technology. It costs $2700, that's true but it also offers an unparalleled set of features  and functionality. It isn't only ready for the 3D HDTV revolution (which may or may not happen), but it is also a Smart TV that is clearly ahead of its time not just with connectivity featurs but with the widgets, social media apps and iPTV services it already runs. 

Elegant, slim and packed with features that make it pretty much future proof, Toshiba's 46WX800U is a breathtaking example of great industrial design unifiying a staggering amount of features and functionality that would satisfy even the most discriminating users.

Rating:  5 out of 5

Related Reviews: Sharp  Aquos Quattron LE 810 LED 40-inch TV